Another draft section for the power tool FAQ - Biscuit Jointers

[John Rumm]

For peer review:

[Andy Hall]

importance - accuracy and control are the most important, IME.

A few comments:

- One of the main attributes of biscuit jointing is to be able control alignment of the joint vertically while having a small degree of horizontal adjustment.

- Some jointers have a vertical adjustment as well which can be used to centre the blade in various thicknesses of material or to align when joints are between different thicknesses of material

- You can also get clamping plates, joining elements and hinges made from plastic or metal which can be used with the biscuit jointer for various purposes.

- As well as side to side jointing of boards, you can use biscuit jointing for light frame assembly

- As always, read the reviews. There have been disappointing products from manufacturers like DeWalt and Porter Cable who normally make good stuff.

[John Rumm]

Ah, I assumed they all did this... (all the ones I have seens so far have allowed height adjustment) - I would have thought that is a "must have" really.

Yup, will add that - I was forgetting that things with biscuit fittings are begining to appear.

I waas trying to imply that - perhaps I should spell it out a bit more clearly.

Good point.

OK try the version there now...

[Andy Hall]

I've seen some very low end ones that don't have anything. Some slightly better ones have *some* adjustment, but it's usually a slide aith a knurled wheel to lock it and a crude scale. No easy repeatability. Products like the Porter Cable 557 and DeWalt 682 have a fine adjustment knob but the scale is still crude. The Lamello TOP20 has a detented control adjustable in 0.1mm increments and repeatable.

For example, the PC 557 has had an issue where the antislip doesn't work properly and the machine moves around too easily. Fixed now, I believe.

The DW682 has a problem with the angle fence - it's 2 degrees out.

[Mr Fuxit]

I dont understand the comment about squeezing the handles together to avoid putting too much pressure on flimsy sections.

[david lang]

Apart from ensuring the top surface is flush, the other advantage is the lateral adjustment e.g. side to side.

Dave

[John Rumm]

OK reworded. See if that makes more sense.

[John Rumm]

Yup, Andy mentioned that and I forgot to add it... well spotted!

OK it is there now.

[Phil Addison]

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

Google uk.d-i-y archive is at NOSPAM from address to email me

[John Rumm]

Just to complicate your life still further, I have made a couple of tweaks to the following existing files:

jigsaw.htm sds.htm drill.htm intro.htm

All files in:

is no index.htm in the above directory - so you ought to get a straight listing)

no great changes, but the language was a bit hammy in places - hopefully it reads better now! (and fewer references to cheese!)

[John Schmitt]

I tried emailing, but somewhere, something prevented me. I would include "diamond" in brackets after the word "lozenge" and emphasise the need for tightly fixing the fence. If it drifts, well, it will end in expletives.

John Schmitt

[John Schmitt]

As Clive Elsmore wrote the majority of it,

belongs with those two. You are welcome to adopt it, as that seems to make sense to me. That is as long as Clive is happy with that.

John Schmitt

[John Rumm]

Perhaps I will go photograph some for inclusion! ;-)

Let me guess: Don't ask you how you know!

[John Rumm]

There does not seem to be much overlap either, since my faq is on the machines and the drilling one is on the bits and techniques....

Perhaps just adding a link in the relevant places may suffice?

[John Schmitt]

Suits me.

John Schmitt

[Phil Addison]

I have an email address for Clive; I'll ask him.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

Google uk.d-i-y archive is at NOSPAM from address to email me

[Phil Addison]

cutter is much smaller than a real jointing blade, you can not get the required pocket with a single plunge either; the router will need to be slid laterally along the slot axis to widen the slot to a suitable width. "

Is it not true that a BJ, oo-err biscuit jointer, also needs sliding along? I have not used one myself, but seeing as the biscuits are oval* and the blade circular, surely you must either make an overly deep circular slot, or run the cutter along the work to produce a flat bottomed slot (an oval)?

*not really oval. Is there a name for that almond shape?

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

Google uk.d-i-y archive is at NOSPAM from address to email me

[Eric The Viking]

No, the radius of a biscuit jointer blade is about the same as the effective radius of a biscuit. In other words, if you place a biscuit on top of a jointer blade the curves will be about the same.

With a biscuit jointer you don't plunge it all the way in - only enough to create the pocket for the size biscuit you are using.

No need to slide a biscuit jointer - just to set the depth for the size biscuit you want.

ETV

[Phil Addison]

Thanks for that - I didn't realize the cutters were so large a diameter. That explains why the biscuits are the almond shape too - to make a nice snug fit in a plunged pocket.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

Google uk.d-i-y archive is at NOSPAM from address to email me

[John Rumm]

Yup, they have a 4" diameter to match the biscuits:

That explains why the biscuits are the almond shape too - to make a nice

That's the plan. Part of the reason why they are so quick to use. Test fit the bits and draw a pencil line across each position you want a biscuit. Then you can cut each slot at the line in a couple of seconds each since it just requires aligning with your pencil mark and pushing the jointer into to it reaches its plunge stop, let go, do next pocket.